Biometric camera mount system

• US 9,716,814 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2015
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EyeLock LLC (VOXX International Corporation)
• Original Assignee: EyeLock LLC (VOXX International Corporation)
• Inventors: Riddle, George Herbert Needham, Hanna, Keith J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, MINH Q
• Application Number:
  US14/687,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20160065797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 396322, 396324, 396325, 340 31, 340 552- 553
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 41/00 Special techniques not covered by groups G03B31/00 - G03B39/00; Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/147 Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/166 using acquisition arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums

Abstract

A system for reducing the substantially vertical extent of a wide-area biometric system and for reducing the cost and complexity of installation while maintaining high biometric performance, using a substantially horizontally configuration of cameras, preferably with an attention mechanism, and using a precision calibration system that can be used by an unskilled technician and that does not require an accurate site survey or additional materials or equipment.

Claims

1. A biometric system comprising:

two or more imaging sensors disposed horizontally on top of a frame to acquire biometric data of a person coming towards the frame, each of the two or more imaging sensors monitoring a respective region of interest, and vertically tilted and horizontally panned with respect to each other to dispose the respective regions of interest vertically with respect to each other so as to form a vertically expanded region of interest located in front of the frame; and

a horizontal pivot for adjusting the respective regions of interest upwards or downwards by a same amount between the respective regions of interest.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensors are closely spaced with respect to each other within a predetermined distance.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an attention mechanism located close to the two or more sensors within a predetermined distance from the two or more sensors.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the attention mechanism comprises a video monitor configured to show imagery of the user.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the attention mechanism is configured to draw a gaze of the person towards a direction of the two or more sensors.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising an adjustment mechanism allowing tilt adjustment of a horizontal configuration of the two or more sensors about the horizontal pivot.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a screw-thread mechanism.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the physical orientation of the two or more sensors are fixed relative to one another after the respective regions of interest are disposed vertically with respect to each other.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the respective regions overlap at least to some extent.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the two or more sensors, as horizontally disposed, provides a reduced vertical profile for the system.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor housing module housing the two or more camera sensors.

12. The system of claim 6, further comprising a sensor housing module comprising the pivot and the adjustment mechanism.

13. A method of acquiring biometric data, the method comprising:

horizontally disposing two or more imaging sensors on top of a frame to acquire biometric data of a person coming towards the frame; and

monitoring, by each of the two or more imaging sensors, a respective region of interest, each of the two or more imaging sensors vertically tilted and horizontally panned with respect to each other to dispose the respective regions of interest vertically with respect to each other so as to form an expanded region of interest located in front of the frame; and

adjusting, via a horizontal pivot, the respective regions of interest upwards or downwards by a same amount between the respective regions of interest.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein horizontally disposing two or more imaging sensors comprises closely spacing the sensors with respect to each other within a predetermined distance.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising locating an attention mechanism close to the two or more sensors within a predetermined distance from the two or more sensors.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising displaying, by the attention mechanism, imagery of the user on a video monitor of the attention mechanism.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising drawing, by the attention mechanism, a gaze of the person towards a direction of the two or more sensors.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising enabling, by an adjustment mechanism, tilt adjustment of a horizontal configuration of the two or more sensors about the horizontal pivot.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the adjustment mechanism comprises a screw-thread mechanism.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the physical orientation of the two or more sensors are fixed relative to one another after the respective regions of interest are disposed vertically with respect to each other.